Fourdrinier wire stringing apparatus



April 14, 1964 l.. HoRNBos'rEx. ETAL 3,129,135

FOURDRINIER WIRE STRINGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1960 4 Sheelis-Sheekl l April 14, 1964 L.. HoRNBosTEL ETAL. 3,129,135

FOURDRINIER WIRE STRINGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1e, 1960 4 sheets-sheet 2 s?? K N Nw NW April 14, 1964 L.. HoRNBos'rl-:L ETAL 3,129,135fr FOURDRINIER WIRE STRINGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet. 5

U5 A A Q A HY l )56 Aprill, 1954 x.. HoRNBosTEL ETAL 3,129,135

FouRDRINIER WIRE STRINGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Manin-'.5 vL /oya Hornose/ a1/Ward Q eacj/l/er United States Patent Office 3,129,135 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 The present invention relates to improvements in paper making machines and particularly to a mechanism for Stringing a Fourdrinier wire for installation on a Fourdrinier type of paper making machine.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a movable vehicle guided on tracks to move between a position in a tending aisle wherein a Fourdrinier wire is strung to form a loop, to a position over a Fourdrinier machine wherein the wire is conveyed over the supporting rolls of the machine. The vehicle will be positioned alongside the Fourdrinier machine during normal operation available for immediate use and can be moved by a winch and cable arrangement. The Fourdrinier wire is strung to an open position by a carriage movable along the vehicle and wire poles are supported on the vehicle and by an overhead beam with pole supporting trolleys and by tracks beneath the Fourdrinier bed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire Stringing mechanism which can be maintained in position beside a Fourdrinier machine for ready availability in order that a Wire may be replaced on short notice and so that it is unnecessary to dismantle any large amount of operating equipment of the Fourdrinier machine for Wire replacement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for replacing a wire on a Fourdrinier machine which makes it unnecessary to move the Fourdrinier table assembly into the aisle for Wire draping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for sate and effective and rapid replacement of a wire with a mechanism which is simplified over devices heretofore available.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wire replacing mechanism which avoids interference with the normal operation of an overhead crane and wherein the crane is merely used for bringing the wire bundle into place and is then released for other repair and maintenance which is usually scheduled coincident with a wire change.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a wire Stringing mechanism which is very easily handled and wherein the apparatus moves through its cycle on wheels and rollers avoiding requiring sliding friction.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a wire Stringing apparatus having the above qualities and providing conveniently located foot walks for safe and eiective operation of the replacement system to reduce v risks inherent in climbing around the Fourdrinier machine.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a wire replacing machine which eliminates the necessity of providing for the usual accumulation and clutter of apparatus needed for wire changing and wherein the mechanism is self-storing and the amount of manual handling is reduced to a series of simple steps involving lightweight apparatus.

Gther objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the present invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiment thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a Wire Stringing mechanism constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and being shown in position for forming a loop in the Fourdrinier wire prior to moving the loop over the Fourdrinier machine;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the machine for Stringing the wire for installation on the Fourdrinier machine, showing the position of the parts as the wire is brought to the Stringing machine;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational View similar to FIG- URE 2, but showing the manner in which the Wire is opened to form a loop;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the machine, similar to FIGURES 2 and 3, illustrating the last steps in forming the loop of the wire;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational View of the machine for Stringing and installing the replacement wire shown in its normal storage position with respect to the Fourdrinier machine;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detailed elevational view of members for supporting and carrying the rear ends of the lower poles for a wire; and

FIGURE 7 is a detailed elevational View of members for supporting the front end of the lower poles for the wire.

As shown on the drawings:

The apparatus is particularly useful in connection with a cantilever type Fourdrinier, wherein the Fourdrinier 10 has a bed 10a supported in a cantilever fashion by intermediate support pedestals l1 and tension members 11a anchored in the floor. Front removable posts or pedestals 12. are removably positioned under the front of the bed. The cantilever support is such that the bed of the Fourdrinier will spring up slightly when the pedestals 12 are released, to permit their removal.

The wire Stringing mechanism for installing a fresh wire on the Fourdrinier machine includes a vehicle 13, shown in FIGURE 1 in the tending aisle, and shown in FIGURE 5 as moved over the Fourdrinier machine.

The wire bundle is placed on a carriage I4, FIGURE 2 and the carriage is moved laterally across the vehicle to string out the wire into a loop shaped form in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The wire 15, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, is supported on upper poles 16 for the upper run thereof, and on lower poles 17 for the lower run thereof. The rear ends of lthe upper poles are supported on a beam 18 having rst rearward carrying means in the form of trolleys 19. The rear ends of the lower poles are supported on second rear carrying means 20, FIGURE 6.

The front ends of the upper poles 16, FIGURE 1, are supported on a first front carrying means in the form of a rail 21 on the vehicle 13. The front ends of the lower poles 17 are supported on second front carrying means 22, FIGURE 7, which are supported on the vehicle.

As to the mechanism in greater detail, the Vehicle 13 is supported on wheels, with a set of front wheels 2l and a set of rear wheels 20a being shown in FIGURE 1. As shown in FIGURE 2, three sets of front wheels 21a, 23 and 24 are mounted across the front of the vehicle and the wheels ride on tracks 25, 26 and 27. As illustrated in FIGURE 1 the tracks are provided with stops such as 25a to limit the movement of the vehicle into the tending aisle. Another set of rear wheels similar to 20a is provided at the other side of the machine and the tracks 25 and 27 extend past the Fourdrinier 10. The center track 26 may or may not extend into the Foudrinier depending on the need for stability which in turn depends on the overall size of the arrangement. If the center track extends into the tending aisle only, there is no rear wheel for the center of the vehicle.

The wheels are mounted on legs suitably attached to a frame 23 extending across the front of the vehicle.

Mounted on the frame is a railing 29 which carries the rail 21 at its top for supporting the front ends of the upper wire poles 16, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. For this purpose, the upper poles 16 are made longer than the lower poles 17 or they may be provided with extensions. The poles are preferably light in weight and may be tubular and formed of lightweight material such as aluminum. They are shown as having annular grooves at their ends for purposes of attachment and support.

At the sides of the vehicle and connecting the wheel carriages for the front and rear wheels are side frame members 22 so that with these side frame members and the frame 28 across the front a unitary vehicle is provided which rolls on its tracks from a position in the aisle, as shown in FIGURE 1 to a position over the Fourdrinier, as shown in FIGURE 5.

For transporting the vehicle a winch 30 is provided shown as conveniently mounted on the column 11 for the Fourdrinier. A winch cable 31 passes down over a pulley 32 and is drawn across the tending aisle to be passed over a pulley 33 to connect to an eyelet 34 on the vehicle for pulling the vehicle out into the tending aisle. When the vehicle is to be pulled over the Fourdrinier for inserting the wire 15, the cable is taken ol the pulley 33 and the winch pulls the vehicle toward the Fourdrinier.

The vehicle also supports a track 35 on the frame 28 for the laterally moving carriage 14, FIGURE 1. At the rear of the vehicle are side horns 36 and 37. These horns are pivotally mounted on the vehicle in sockets 38 and 39 at their base which are provided with a suitable clamping means, illustrated somewhat schematic in the form of clamping bolts 40 and 41. The clamping means permit the horns to be swung on the vehicle to an out-of-way position or to be moved to operative position and secured to the overhead beam 18, in the position shown in FIG- URES 1, 3 and 4. Suitable means may be provided for attaching the horns 36 and 37 to the beam 18 such as by swing bolts, not shown. The horns relatively hold the position of the beam 18 with respect to the vehicle for purposes of supporting the wire poles and moving the wire over the Fourdrinier.

The overhead beam 18 extend along parallel to the vehicle and is supported at its ends on rollers 42 and 43 which roll on tracks 44 and 45 that are suitably supported and extend from the front to the rear of the Fourdrinier 10. The beam supports the trolleys 19 which are provided with hooks 46 for connecting to the rear ends of the upper wire poles 16. The trolleys are mounted on wheels 47 which run on the beam and they are also provided with an upwardly extending bracket having a pad 48 on the end which will engage the web of the beam with tilting movement of the trolley so that when the vehicle is moved rearwardly the thrust of the poles on the trolley is transferred to the beam itself by virtue of the pad 4S bearing on the beam.

The carriage 14 is supported on wheels which at the side of the carriage facing the front of the machine roll on the track 35, and which on the side of the carriage facing the rear of the machine roll on a track 49 mounted on end supports 50 on the Fourdriner, FIGURES 1 and 5. The supports 50 also carry footboards at 49a mounted adjacent the track 49. The frame 28 carries a footwalk 28a. It is contemplated that the footwalk 28a provided on the frame 28 and the footboards 49a can be made to be at the same elevation, instead of different elevations as shown in FIGURE 5. With this construction the footwalks 49a and 28a would interlock and could be made of parallel steel horizontal interlocking teeth.

The vehicle 13 is arranged to transfer the load of the frame 28 and footwalk 28a to the removable pedestals 12 when the vehicle is in the position of FIGURE 5 during normal machine operation.

For Stringing the wire to form a loop, the carriage 14 is started in the position of FIGURE 2. A wire bundle 51 with wire poles therein is brought over to the carriage.

The wire normally is provided with two inside and one outside poles and additional poles 16 are inserted. The wire bundle 51 is positioned on the carriage and the crane is then disconnected and is free for repair and maintenance activities whichV are usually scheduled coincident with a wire change. On the carriage are heads 52 and 53 which are rotatably mounted and which are arranged to clamp one of the inside poles 54 and an outside pole 55 therein so that the wire can unwind from the poles on the freely rotatable heads 52 and 53 when the carriage 14 is moved across the vehicle on the rails 35 and 49.

Several of the poles 16 are lifted from the carriage and laid in yconvenient brackets S6 on the vehicle. Then, as the carriage is moved laterally across the vehicle, the upper poles 16 are mounted on the hooks 46 on the trolleys 19 and are laid on the upper rail 21 at the front of the vehicle so that the upper run of the wire is supported. The lower run will be laid over the lower wire poles 17 which are supported at their rear and front ends on the supports 20 and 22, as illustrated in detail in FIGURES 6 and 7, and as illustrated in FIGURE 1. As the wire is strung across to the position shown in FIGURE 3, the last of the poles 16 are placed on convenient brackets 57 at the other side of the vehicle. A removable track 53 is mounted on a removable column 59 to carry the carriage beyond the side of the vehicle, and the carriage will not be moved in over the Fourdrinier with the vehicle.

All of the foregoing operations may be performed with the paper machine still in operation. This provides a decided advantage in that the vehicle is always available and can be simply pulled out of position into the tending aisle and fully prepared and draped with a Wire without interrupting the operation of the paper machine.

When the paper machine is shut down a breast roll 16 on the Fourdrinier 10 is dropped down from the position of FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURE 3. The return rolls and other rolls which support and guide the wire in its lower run are shown in their normal operating position for a wire 62 in FIGURE 2. The old wire 62 will be cut or otherwise suitably removed from the Fourdrinier. The lower return rolls 61 are then moved out of position as illustrated in FIGURE 3 by either being raised or dropped so that the new wire 15 can be moved between them. Other supplemental equipment such as hoses, shower connections and the like are also moved out of position to accommodate entry of the new wire.

The lower supporting poles 17 are supported at their front ends by a support 22 which has a downwardly depending member 63 secured to the frame 28 of the vehicle and having a loop 64 for receiving the front end of the pole 17.

At the rear end of the lower pole 17 is the support 20 which rides on a track 65 supported by brackets such as 66 beneath the bed of the Fourdrinier. The track has an extension 65a which may be removed after the wire is installed. An arm 67 is supported on a roller 68 on the track and has a hook at its lower end for attaching to the pole 17. It is immaterial whether the wire pole 17 is made long enough so that the trolley 20 can support the rear end of the pole 17 directly from the track 65 or from an extension 65a, as shown.

As the vehicle is moved inwardly over the Fourdrinier, the roller GS rolls along the track extension 65a and then over the track 65. The posts or columns 16 beneath the front of the cantilever supported Fourdrinier are moved out of the way so that they are no longer in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 and the way is clear as shown in FIGURE 3.

The vehicle is then moved inwardly to carry the wire 15 over the Fourdrinier. The wire is then dropped by the removal of the poles and the breast roll is moved outwardly to its operative position which is the position shown in FIGURE 2 and which is the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 4. The other lower rolls 61 are moved up into place and the lower poles 17 are removed to clear the wire. The horns 36 and 37 are removed from the sockets 3S and 39 and moved out of the way and the Fourdrinier will be ready for operation. The sockets are split longitudinally, one part being hinged so as to open the socket and permit the removal of the horn radially from the socket rather than longitudinally. The vehicle 13 and the overhead beam 18 may be kept in their storage position as shown in FIGURE 5 throughout the operation of the machine. The vehicle provides walks for tending the machine and for installation of the belt making it easy and more safe to climb around the Fourdrinier.

In brief summary, for the installation of the new wire 15, the vehicle 13 is pulled out into the tending aisle by the winch cable 31 as shown in FIGURE l. The wire bundle 51 is then deposited on the carriage 14 as shown in FIG- URE 2 and the upper and lower poles 16 and 17 are positioned and the carriage moved across the vehicle in the manner shown in FIGURE 3. The horns 36 and 37 are engaged into sockets 38 and 39 and are attached to the overhead beam. The Fourdrinier is then shut down and the breast roll 60 and the other lower rolls 61 are moved from the positions of FIGURE 2 to the positions of FIG- URES 3 and 4. The columns'lZ are released and removed and the vehicle is then moved inwardly over the machine to position the wire. When the poles are removed and the rolls are back in their operating position on the Fourdrinier it is ready for further operation.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an improved machine for installing a new wire on a Fourdrinier machine, which meets the objectives and advantages hereinbefore set forth. The arrangement provides substantial advantages over the other basic Ways of changing a Wire on a Fourdrinier which require either substantial dismantling of the Fourdrinier in its location or movement of the Fourdrinier into the tending aisle. The present a1- rangement does not disturb the geometry of the Fourdrinier as do other methods.

The apparatus provides a minimum amount of dismantling and of operating equipment and is always available. The apparatus provides for safe, effective and rapid replacement of a wire avoiding disadvantages and difficulties and avoiding the necessity of equipment heretofore necessary.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic forms disclosed, but covers all modilications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taug it by the invention.

We claim as our invention:

l. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising a movable vehicle for carrying a wire over a Fourdrinier machine, first rear carrying means above the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of Wire poles for supporting the upper run of a replacement wire, second rear carrying means below the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of wire poles for supporting the lower run of the replacement wire, first and second front carrying means on the vehicle for supporting the front ends of said poles, means movably supporting the first rear carrying means for movement back over the Fourdrinier, and means connected below the bed of the Fourdrinier and supported thereon for supporting said second rear carrying means for movement from the front to the rear of the Fourdrinier.

2. In combination with a Fourdrinier machine, a movable vehicle for carrying a wire over the Fourdrinier machine, first rear carrying means above the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of wire poles for supporting the upper run of a replacement wire including an overhead beam on the Vehicle with laterally movable pole supporting trolleys thereon, means supporting said beam for moving from the front of the Fourdrinier machine to the rear, second rear carrying means below the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of wire poles for supporting the lower run of the replacement wire, first and second front carrying means on the vehicle for supporting the front ends of said poles, and means for moving said carryingr means and said vehicle back over the Fourdrinier machine to install said wire.

3. In combination with a Fourdrinier machine a movable vehicle for carrying a wire over the Fourdrinier machine, iirst rear carrying means above the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of wire poles for the upper run of a replacement wire, second rear carrying means below the Fourdrinier for supporting the rear end of wire poles for the lower run of the replacement wire including a plurality of tracks mounted under the bed of the Pourdrinier and supported therefrom extending to the back thereof and rollers on the tracks for attachment to the pole end, rst and second front carrying means on the vehicle for supporting the front ends of said poles, and means for moving said vehicle and said carrying means back on the Fourdrinier machine to install said wire.

4. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising a movable footboard vehicle having wheels for transporting it rearwardly over the Fourdrinier machine, guide tracks for receiving the vehicle wheels to guide the vehicle, footwalks on said vehicle for support for personnel tending the Fourdrinier, a winch and cable for mounting at the rear of the Fourdrinier with a pulley for mounting in a tending aisle outside the Fourdrinier for pulling said vehicle to a wire receiving position in the aisle and to a wire replacing position over the Fourdrinier, an overhead beam extending along the Fourdrinier, trolleys mounted on the beam to carry the rear end of upper wire poles for the upper run of a wire across the Fourdrinier machine, a track on the vehicle extending parallel to the beam for carrying the front end of the upper wire poles across the machine, support rails and rollers at each end of the beam for carrying the beam from the front to the rear of the Fourdrinier machine, second support rails positioned under the Fourdrinier with rollers for carrying the rear ends of wire poles for the lower run of the wire from the front to the rear of the machine, members for supporting the front ends of the poles on the vehicle, a carriage for carrying the wire poles and moving the wire across the vehicle to form an open loop, and means for supporting the carriage while the vehicle moves the wire over the Fourdrinier.

5. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising a movable vehicle having wheels for transporting it rearwardly over the Fourdrinier machine, guide tracks for receiving the vehicle wheels to guide the Vehicle, an overhead beam extending along the Fourdrinier attached to the Vehicle, trollies mounted on the beam to carry the rear end of upper wire poles for the upper run of a wire across the Fourdrinier machine and to support the poles as the vehicle is moved over the Fourdrinier machine, a track on the vehicle extending parallel to the beam for carrying the front end of the upper wire poles across the machine, support rails and rollers at each end of the beam for carrying the beam from the front to the rear of the Fourdrinier machine, second support rails positioned under the Fourdrinier with rollers for carrying the rear ends of wire poles for the lower run of the wire from the front to rear end of the machine, members for supporting the front ends of the wire poles for the lower run of the wire on the vehicle, and means for moving the vehicle over the Fourdrinier machine.

6. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising, a movable vehicle for carrying a wire back over the Fourdrinier machine, a track extending transversely across the vehicle and supported thereon and movable with the vehicle, a carriage on said track for traveling thereacross and opening the wire loop on the vehicle, and means for supporting the opened loop to be moved with the vehicle over the Fourdrinier machine.

7. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising, a movable vehicle for carrying a wire back over the Fourdrinier machine, a track extending transversely across the vehicle and supported thereon and movable with the vehicle, a carriage on said track for traveling thereacross and opening the Wire loop on the vehicle, a stationary stand positioned beside said movable vehicle and having a track portion positioned at an elevation aligned with said track for receiving said carriage at the end of its travel along said track so that the carriage can be transferred to said stand and the vehicle can move over the Fourdrinier machine without the carriage, and means for supporting the opened loop to be moved with the vehicle over the Fourdrinier machine.

8. A mechanism for changing wires on a Fourdrinier machine comprising in combination, a movable vehicle for carrying a wire back over the Fourdrinier machine, a movable overhead beam extending laterally across the vehicle and movable with the vehicle, means mounted on the vehicle for securing the beam to the vehicle and moving the beam with the vehicle over the Fourdrinier, rollers having downwardly suspended pole support means on the beam for carrying the rear ends of upper Wire supporting poles and for moving the poles laterally for spreading the wire and carrying the poles back over the Fourdrinier machine with movement of the vehicle, and means for supporting the forward ends of the poles on the vehicle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,299,746 Hart Oct. 27, 1942 2,681,721 Baxter June 22, 1954 2,903,060 Stewart Sept. 8, 1959 

6. A MECHANISM FOR CHANGING WIRES ON A FOURDRINIER MACHINE COMPRISING, A MOVABLE VEHICLE FOR CARRYING A WIRE BACK OVER THE FOURDRINER MACHINE, A TACK EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE VEHICLE AND SUPPORTED THEREON AND MOVABLE WITH THE VEHICLE, A CARRIAGE ON SAID TRACK FOR TRAVELING THEREACROSS AND OPENING THE WIRE LOOP ON THE VEHICLE, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE OPENED LOOP TO BE MOVED WITH THE VEHICLE OVER THE FOURDRINIER MACHINE. 